


At the Movies

by coprime



Category: ParaNorman (2012)
Genre: First Date, Fluff, Future Fic, M/M, friends to boyfriends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 12:05:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coprime/pseuds/coprime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Norman!" Neil said as he burst into Norman's bedroom. "Want to go see <i>Zombies 3</i> this afternoon? I did some extra chores this week, so I can buy both of our tickets."</p>
            </blockquote>





	At the Movies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [kyuuketsukirui](https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyuuketsukirui/gifts).



> I have rather shamelessly turned a classic video game into a movie for Norman and Neil to see.

"Norman!" Neil said as he burst into Norman's bedroom. "Want to go see _Zombies 3_ this afternoon? I did some extra chores this week, so I can buy both of our tickets."

The bed dipped under Neil's weight, rolling Norman from his prone position and into his friend. Neil felt very warm from this close. Norman blushed, both from Neil's nearness and the question. It almost sounded like Neil was asking him out on date, except Norman knew that couldn't be right. Norman had consoled his friend after the few times Neil had tried to ask out other girls in their class and knew that Neil's style was both much more direct (he'd walk up and declare he liked the girl and wanted to go on a date with her) and amorphous (he'd never any plans for the actual date if she'd said yes).

So all he asked was, "I thought you didn't like scary movies?" Norman had talked about how excited he was for _Zombies Ate My Neighbors 3: Terror in Aisle Five_ for the past month, but Neil had never given any indication he wanted to see it until now.

Neil looked down at his hands, which were fidgeting nervously in his lap. "Generally not, no. But this one I want to see."

"Okay," Norman said, taking his friend at his word. If it was supposed to be a date, Neil would have said. "When's the next showing?"

"Soon. Mitch said he'd drive us, so we can still make it in time for the previews. They're my favorite part, aside from the popcorn."

Neil continued to chat about previews with minimal input from Norman while Norman grabbed his shoes, asked his mom for permission to go, and said goodbye to his grandma. His grandma gave him a knowing look when he told her their plans, but he just shook his head. It wasn't like that, as much as he wished it was.

Things had changed in the three years since Norman had helped Agatha move on. He'd helped a number of other ghosts do the same, but some -- like his grandma -- preferred to stick around. And if the other residents of Blithe Hollow (minus his family, Neil, and Mitch but including Alvin) liked to pretend that ghosts and zombies couldn't be real, then at least they now left him alone when they saw him talking to no one they could see. All in all, his life was pretty good now except for the inconvenient crush he had on his best friend, who was still just as wonderful and devoted a friend as he'd been back then too. The only change there was that Neil was couple inches taller now, although he was still just as large.

Neil continued to talk all the way to the theater, more so than was normal for him, but Norman couldn't guess why. They'd seen movies together before -- but never scary movies because Neil had always said those gave him nightmares -- and school was going fine for both of them so far this year. Neil didn't normally pay for both of them, true, but Neil disliked doing chores and therefore was almost always strapped for cash. Norman had bought Neil's ticket a couple times when there was something they both wanted to see, so maybe Neil was just paying him back.

Norman kept glancing at Neil when Neil looked elsewhere.

As promised, Neil paid for two tickets to _Zombies Ate My Neighbor 3: Terror in Aisle Five_. Norman turned to head toward their theater, but Neil grabbed his hand.

"No, this way. We need popcorn and soda," he said and dragged Norman over to the concession stand.

Neil didn't let go of his hand until he had to so he could give his money to the woman manning the stand, by which time Norman was sure he was beet red.

Because while Norman certainly didn't object to holding Neil's hand, it just wasn't something they did. It left Norman feeling even more confused and unsure about what was going on with Neil while also trying to fight down his blush.

Norman was still lost in his own thoughts when Neil handed him the extra large tub of popcorn to hold. Neil gave him such a bright smile then that Norman couldn't help but give Neil a little grin in response even as he ducked his head in embarrassment. Neil was good at cheering him up.

Inside the theater, they grabbed a pair of seats near the middle. There weren't many other people present, just a group of college students, a few couples sitting towards the back, and a ghost dressed in an old-fashioned usher's uniform. Norman waved to the ghost, and Neil copied him once he noticed what Norman was doing.

Soon the lights dimmed, the sound turned up, and Neil gazed at the screen with rapt attention. Periodically he moved a mechanical arm to grab another handful of popcorn or gulp of soda. This Norman was familiar with. For all that Neil liked to talk, he kept silent whenever watching something on the big screen.

Norman settled back into his seat, now able to enjoy the further adventure of Zeke and Julie as they tried to defend their hapless neighbors from hordes of the undead and other monsters. This time, they were trapped in a grocery store along with the high school cheerleading squad and a pair of exceptionally blockheaded tourists.

Just when the chainsaw-wielding maniac was about to hack his way through the pasta section of the store to get at Julie on the other side, Neil bolted upright.

"I have to go to the bathroom, I'll be right back," he said all in a rush and made his way out as quickly as he could.

Onscreen Julie defended herself with some nearby cans of soda before making her escape.

It was when Zeke found the fire extinguishers and froze the zombies with them that Norman realized Neil hadn't returned yet. He snuck out the theater, leaving behind the popcorn and soda. When he opened the theater doors, he immediately spotted Neil pacing nearby. His friend started to head back toward the theater but when he got near, he abruptly turned away and went back to where he'd been pacing.

Neil startled when Norman got close to him. "Norman! What are you doing out here? Did you get scared too?"

"Neil...." Norman hugged his arms close, unsure what was really going on. "Why did you say you wanted to see this movie? Did I make you think you had to?"

"I just wanted our first date to be something you'd like. And I know you hate going to movies by yourself, so I thought this was perfect! But then I had to go ruin everything by being a fraidy-cat--"

Oh. Norman was temporarily stunned. So this _was_ what he'd first thought it was. And what it was, was...totally fantastic.

"--and now you're never going to want to go out with me again--"

Norman smiled. Neil definitely had a flair for the dramatic. So Norman leaned forward and kissed his best friend (and now, hopefully, boyfriend). They were both too awkward and inexperienced for it to anything more than a smush of their lips together, but it was easily the highlight of Norman's day so far.

When he pulled away, Neil asked, "So you're not mad at me?"

Norman shook his head.

"Phew. I was worried." Neil's good humor reasserted itself, and he once again smiled brightly as a thought occurred to him. "Then does this mean you'll sit outside with me until Mitch picks us up?"

Norman nodded. Waiting with Neil was absolutely better than sitting in a theater by himself.


End file.
